Watford 0 Liverpool 3 (Nov 24 2018)

[tlw content]

 

 

 

Report by

Dave Usher

 

I’m usually ultra confident before most of our games but I had a bad feeling prior to this one as Watford isn’t an easy place to go, especially after an international break. I also worried that we were due a defeat.

 

So it was a trap game but in the end it was fairly routine. We had to earn the right to play though, and the first half was a complete non-event. I’m starting to think this is part of the plan though. We're pacing ourselves more than before, and hopefully that pays off down the stretch.

 

The approach to games like this seems to be a bit different this year. I never thought at any point that we were playing well but I suspect this is almost by design. We definitely aren’t going out all guns blazing anymore. We’re controlling games, being patient (overly so at times), keeping the ball and not giving anything away. 

 

Case in point; we drew 3-3 here last season and we had quite a few of those wild games over the course of the year. So far this year we’ve had none. We’re not a soft touch anymore and we don’t fold under pressure.

 

There has been an obvious change in approach and defending seems to be more of a priority than it was before. Obviously Van Dijk has made a massive difference but it’s not solely because of him. It just feels like we’re taking defending more seriously than before and there's a real pride in keeping clean sheets.

 

Robbo revealed afterwards that the gameplan was keep it tight and eventually chances will come when the game opens up a bit. That’s exactly how this one played out and we took three of the chances that came our way and had a comfortable win.

 

We’ve only conceded five goals in 13 games, which is incredible really. When was the last time we were this tight at the back? There was a spell under Rafa around 2006 ish when I think we went eight games without conceding or something like that, but generally this isn’t what we do. 

 

It has come at a slight cost as the football is not as free flowing as it was last year and the games are therefore not as manic. There’s much more control about what we’re doing and although it’s not as exciting to watch it’s proving to be very effective. We haven’t lost and the only teams to stop us winning are City, Arsenal and Chelsea.

 

It’s easy to look at things from that upbeat perspective after we’ve won, but I have to admit that during the games I’m sometimes finding it difficult not to get pissed off. By full time I was made up - I’ll take a 3-0 win all day regardless of how we play - but for a long part of the game this was a difficult watch and I was getting frustrated, especially in the first half.

 

It was too easy for Watford as everything we did was in front of them. We got behind once when Mane made a good run and was expertly picked out by Shaqiri. It was a decent effort but an easy save for Foster, who also denied Salah at the far post after Mo had ghosted in unmarked to meet a corner. Chances were at a premium though despite us having complete domination of the ball.

 

I know it’s hard when teams sit back like that but we’ve got to be better. We’ve got to move the ball quicker and get down the sides. 90% of the goals City score come that way and it does my head in. They’ll overload on side and get someone in behind and score a tap in from a low ball across the box. That’s why they're so good at spanking the shite teams. Move it quickly, overload out wide, flood the box.

 

We didn’t do it at all in the first half but as soon as we did manage it, lo and behold we took the lead. It was a well worked goal but there was nothing especially complicated about it and we should be doing this more often. Bobby played a nicely weighted ball in behind to Mané, he cut it back and Mo scored with a first time shot (that Foster should have saved). That's how you beat them, get round the back.

 

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[El Rojo]

Laughed at ‘Henderson sent off for impeding Success’. 

 

Agree on City. In the media and even in threads on here and they’re the greatest team of all time, but we’re still right beside them. 

 

 

[stringvest]

He's been impeding success since he got here.

[dylstar]

Alisson had to make one decent save in the first half but otherwise the only anxious moment he had was one he gave himself with a sloppy ball to Firmino that almost cost us

[TheHowieLama]

[Jose Jones]

3 hours ago, stringvest said:

He's been impeding success since he got here.

Well done for obviously not bothering to read the report.

[Barnesey]

I think our expectation levels are getting exaggerated. I was bored against Cardiff and thought two late goals flattered us. I left the Emirates thoroughly deflated believing we had the chances to win the game comfortably. I was bored again against Fulham and frustrated on satdee as we laboured for an hour.

 

On the positive side, we have earned 10 points from 12, been to a top 6 side and remain very handily placed in the league. If we were chasing anyone but this Citeh side we’d be delighted. As it is, I can’t help feeling we are playing for second place and we deserve more than that.